A solid addition to the Special Agent Pendergast series. It contains all of the witty anecdotes that I’ve come to expect from Pendergast, but it’s also a bit of a page-turner.

The Rest of It:

I have a long-standing love affair with Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. Years ago…I picked-up Relic, which was book #1 in the series and since then, I’ve been enjoying the series every couple of years. There have been a few misses, so I consider these books guilty pleasures and nothing more. However, every once in a while I am reminded how good they are. This is one such case.

Fever Dream is about Special Agent Pendergast and his discovery that his wife’s death, years ago, may not have been the accident he imagined it to be. You see, he knew she was mauled by a lion while game hunting in Africa, but what he didn’t know is that his wife’s rifle, her only means of protection, was filled with blanks. With this new piece of information, he sets out to find the true killer.

What makes these books special are the characters. Pendergast is a rather refined individual. Not your typical FBI agent. There are lots of asides and witticisms that are quite enjoyable. On the other hand, D’Agosta, his liaison in the police department is not as refined and a bit more stereotypical so the contrast between the two is quite entertaining.

Overall, Fever Dream was a quick read and provided a much-needed distraction but wasn’t all “fluff” and pat endings. If you shy away from crime fiction because of the million little details or mystery because of the formulaic quality of it, then I think you will like this one.

It should be noted as well, that it really doesn’t matter which order you read these books in. They are all pretty much stand-alone pieces.

My first introduction to this series was, THE CABINET OF CURIOSITIES a few years ago. I loved it and I’ve been reading the series, off and on, since then. Glad to know there’s a new book out, thanks for the great review, Ti. Another title to be added to my ever growing and dangerously tottering TBR pile.

See? Now that is one I have not read but a friend of mine also read it (Cabinet of Curiosities) and said that he liked it as well. I will read it for sure…someday. You know how that goes. So many books…